New paper: The effects of forest fires on postfire land surface warming
What happens to forests hit by wildfires after the flames are gone?
While the immediate impacts of wildfires are a hot topic in the media, post-fire effects on land management are less frequently discussed. Fires not only release carbon and other particles into the atmosphere but also influence energy and water exchanges between land and air, which can impact local climates.
New research, supported by INFORMA, reveals that bigger fires lead to warmer land surface temperatures. This warming effect is more pronounced in areas dominated by coniferous trees, which are more vulnerable to fire than broadleaf trees. In regions with a higher proportion of broadleaf trees, which are less flammable, the warming effect was reduced.
As northern forests are expected to experience larger fires in the future, the authors suggest adopting climate-smart forestry practices. Climate-smart forestry with more broadleaf trees can help mitigate local climate warming effects, and have a positive influence on forest regeneration.
Curious to learn more? Dive into the full open-access study “Forest fire size amplifies postfire land surface warming“, published in Nature and supported by our partner Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam!
Zhao, J., Yue, C., Wang, J. et al. Forest fire size amplifies postfire land surface warming. Nature 633, 828–834 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-07918-8